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Read the latest headlines about bilateral relations in the areas of economy, business, diplomacy, culture and tourism between Austria and its partners

Vienna's Foreign and Bilateral Relations

The World Bank and the Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies (wiiw) held a high-level policy dialogue on ‘Investment, Jobs and Integration’ last week. Ministers and senior officials from the Western Balkans region as well as policy experts from international organisations and the business community gathered to discuss the challenges the region is currently facing, in particular the high unemployment rate, low international competitiveness, and lack of modern infrastructure.

Vienna Insurance Group (VIG) is acquiring AXA’s life and non-life companies in Serbia. The purchase will increase VIG’s market share in Serbia to around 11.5 percent.

Post AG is involved in a buyback conflict regarding the Turkish subsidiary. Post took over a 25-percent stake in Turkish parcel delivery service Aras Kargo in 2013; it had been granted an option to buy another 50 percent of the shares. The company has been negotiating to use the option for a year now, but has been unable to reach a compromise.

Like any other economy within the euro area, Austria will also be confronted with challenges following the Brexit vote, according to the latest analysis by RBI Research analysts. However, the economic momentum should not experience any noticeable weakening, even though one should expect considerable declines in exports to the United Kingdom.

Following the completion of all regulatory requirements, Raiffeisen Bank International AG (RBI) formally closed the sale of its Slovenian bank, Raiffeisen Banka d.d. The sales price will be kept confidential.

The conceptual artist, documentary filmmaker and activist Ai Weiwei is one of the most well known artists of our time. The 21er Haus will present his work at the exhibition “Ai Weiwei. translocation – transformation” from 14 July to 20 November 2016.

According to the latest prognosis of the Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies, the countries of Central, East and Southeast Europe (CESEE) will have a trend growth rate of up to 3% in the period of 2016-2018. This is 1-1½ percentage points higher than average growth in the eurozone. Consumption will be the main growth driver. The Austrian economy is still benefiting from its economic ties with the region. Direct effects of BREXIT on the region will be limited – indirect effects for the European economy as a whole may be considerable.

Think tank Agenda Austria recommends the government in Austria to devise a large campaign against an Austrian exit ("Öxit”), highlighting the benefits of EU membership, since the experts anticipate an increase in discussions concerning this issue.

India has extended e-Tourist Visa (e-TV) scheme to the citizens of Austria. Under e-Tourist Visa scheme, citizens of Austria may now apply online four days in advance to obtain the Electronic Travel Authorization for traveling to India.

The expected pretax profit from the cash payment of the transaction will be EUR 97 million. It should be booked under net income from financial investments in the second quarter of 2016. Visa Inc. had announced the takeover of Visa Europe Ltd. in November of 2015. The cash payment of this one-off effect will be split between Slovakia, Romania, Czech Republic, Poland, the RBI head office, Croatia, Bulgaria, Hungary and Zuno.

In the context of the ‘Business meets Diplomacy’ series of events, representatives of the Austrian economy meet members of the foreign diplomatic corps for an exchange of views on Austrian business and the economy.

Mitterlehner hopes that the referendum will end in Britain staying in the EU. Kurz says, that Brexit would be terrible. Fiat could relocate production of agriculture and construction machine maker CNH (Case New Holland) from UK to Steyr in case of Brexit.

Marking the 20th anniversary of the signing of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), a Ministerial Meeting was held at Vienna International Center. Hosting some 40 international organizations, Austria is a hub for the promotion of peace, safety and security, sustainable development and the fight against crime, drug abuse and terrorism.

Foreign Ministers of the 18 member states of the Central European Initiative (CEI) met in Bosnia Herzegovina, which holds the initiative’s annual rotating Chairmanship this year. Discussions mainly focused on the refugee crisis and potential solutions.

The upcoming summit of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in Warsaw from 8th to 9th July 2016 sees the organization facing numerous challenges. The withdrawal of combat troops from Afghanistan and rising tensions in the European area – from the conflict in Ukraine to the migration crisis, effected the question of the role of NATO’s Partnership for Peace under the new circumstances. A conference in Vienna with the working title "Current Security Challenges for Europe: NATO, its Partners and the Warsaw Summit" intends to discuss these and other pertinent issues.

The United Nations General Assembly declared 21st June as the International Day of Yoga. The resolution adopted by the General Assembly invites everyone to observe that day as the International Day of Yoga. On occasion of the International Day of Yoga, the Embassy of India in Vienna is organizing the several events on 19th and 21st June, 2016.

According to the latest issue of the competitiveness ranking established by Swiss research facility Instituts für Management-Entwicklung (IMD), Austria edged up from rank 26 to 24 y/y in 2015.

The planned investment of the Lower-Austrian gambling group Novomatic in the Australian rival Ainsworth Game Technology has been delayed. Ainsworth will postpone general assembly scheduled for June 3 by up to 30 days. It is at the meeting that shareholders are supposed to approve the deal.

Several Austrian companies from various industry sectors are looking for strong local partners and new opportunities for cooperation in Lagos.

In the context of his visit to Vienna UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon met Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz for a working discussion at the Foreign Ministry. Talks focused on the challenges Austria and Europe are currently facing, especially in connection with the refugee crisis and the fight against radicalization and terrorism. A further topic addressed was the important role played by Austria as the seat and headquarters of a total of 37 international organisations.

As part of an official visit to Vienna, Ursula von der Leyen, Minister of Defence of Germany, which currently holds the OSCE Chairmanship, will meet OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier. During their meeting, von der Leyen and Zannier will discuss the role of the OSCE focusing in particular on the crisis in and around Ukraine. They will also explore possibilities to strengthen the OSCE and its capabilities.

Austrian state-run rail company ÖBB Austrian Railways is facing increasing competition of German mobility provider Flixbus which has just launched its third connection for Austria's regional capital cities, between Graz and Salzburg. In January 2016 FlixBus announced its entry to the markets of Central and Eastern Europe with the new branch FlixBus CEE. This includes six countries (Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Poland, Slovenia and Croatia) with new lines in the making.
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According to the Vienna Business Agency, last year a total of 175 international businesses relocated to Vienna. Compared to the previous year, the result of 159 relocations was further improved. Compared to the other federal states, Vienna was able to attract almost five times more international businesses than the second-placed Carinthia, which, according to statistics of the Ministry of Economy, recorded 36 new businesses, followed by Salzburg (25), Tyrol (20), and Lower Austria (18).

Last year was a very good year for India-Austria foreign trade. Experiencing a much faster growth rate than Austria’s overall trade, Austria imported items amounting to EUR 702 million from India and exported a volume amounting EUR 700 million to India.

The initial Austrian Airlines flight to Shanghai took off from Vienna yesterday. AUA will terminate the connection to Tokyo as of September 4 and will rather bet again on Chinese destinations. The economic slowdown of the Japanese economy made the Vienna-Tokyo route unprofitable. Instead AUA starts with five weekly flights to Shanghai on a Boeing 777.

Bilfinger VAM, a Linz-based unit of German construction firm, will enjoy a capacity utilisation until autumn thanks to the contract for a pipe system in Egypt, the company said. The firm shares the EUR 10 million (USD 11.3 million) deal with another Bilfinger unit.

Voestalpine steel buys two specialty steel firms. With the purchase of Advanced Tooling Tek (ATT) in Shanghai, China, and the Sermetal Group in Barcelona, Spain, Voestalpine is enhancing its position as a producer of special steels. Both companies are specialized in the processing and sale of special steel products for tool and mold-making, a segment whose main customers are the automotive and electronics industries. Together ATT and the Sermetal Group have around 160 employees and generated a total revenue of around EUR 43 million in 2015.

AUA Austrian Airlines has signed an agreement with Hong Kong authorities to ad Hong Kong International Airport to its portfolio of long-haul destinations. AUA will fly up to 5 times a week to Hong Kong as of September 5, 2016. The direct link to Vienna will also be the gateway to Eastern Europe for the Hongkongese as well as the South-Chinese business community.

Austria’s Foreign Affairs Ministry has re-opened its embassy in Bogota, Colombia, after four years.

The Austrian Embassy in Washington D.C. reports that Minister of Justice Wolfgang Brandstetter headed an Austrian delegation to the U.S. from January 28 to February 3, 2016. His visit included meetings with U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch, members of Congress, Facebook officials, as well as a tour of the Los Angeles County Jail.

The sale of Raiffeisen Bank International’s (RBI) direct bank Zuno to the Alfa Banking Group will not be concluded because ABH Holdings withdrew from the contract of sale.

Convened on the initiative of Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz and Austrian Minister of the Interior Johanna Mikl-Leitner, the Western Balkans conference “Managing Migration Together” was held at the Federal Ministry of the Interior in Vienna. 18 foreign and interior ministers from the Western Balkans attended the conference. The participants included the foreign and interior ministers of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Slovenia.

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. announced that it has closed on the sale of Hotel Imperial Vienna, a Luxury Collection Hotel, to Al Habtoor Investment - the investment arm of UAE conglomerate Al Habtoor Group for 71 million euros. As part of the transaction, all rooms and suites of the iconic hotel will be renovated over the next four years. Hotel Imperial will continue to operate as part of The Luxury Collection brand under a new long-term management agreement.

By decision of Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias, Greece’s Ambassador to Vienna, H. E. Mrs. Chryssoula Aliferi, is being called to Athens for consultations aimed at "safeguarding the relations" between the states and peoples of Greece and Austria.

The Austrian unit of Siemens announced in Vienna Simmering at the rollout of the first vehicle that a "a very, very big order” has been secured. With six lines and a total route length of 175 kilometers, the capital of Saudi Arabia Riyadh is planning the world's largest subway project. Siemens is to supply the entire turnkey system for two driverless metro lines.

Ebadollah Molaie has been appointed as Iran’s new ambassador to Austria, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said recently.

Mr. Leigh Turner CMG has been appointed Her Majesty's Ambassador to the Republic of Austria and UK Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Vienna. Mr. Turner currently serves as British Consul-General in Istanbul. After joining the Foreign and Commonwealth Office from 1984 to 1987 he already has had a posting in Austria before Turkey. The new ambassador to the Republic of Austria will take up his post in August 2016.

The period from 1910 to 1920 was the heyday of the Russian avant-garde. Reason enough for the Albertina to dedicate an exhibition to Chagall, Malevich and Co.

Michael Linhart met Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Turkmenistan Rashid Meredov and Deputy Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan Araz Azimov in Vienna. “Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan are important partners for Austria in the context of its OSCE Chairmanship in 2017”

Ambassador Wolfgang Waldner presented his credentials to President Barack Obama on Thursday January 28, 2016. "I am looking forward to my upcoming tasks, especially to be part of the successful bilateral relationship our two countries share. It will be my honor to further strengthen the political, economic, and cultural bonds between the United States and Austria over the course of the next four years." Waldner said at the White House.

On 9 February 2016, the Austrian Embassy in Minsk was officially opened by the Secretary General for Foreign Affairs Michael Linhart. The opening of the embassy is an important element in the restructuring process launched by Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz to bring about a strategic re-orientation of the diplomatic representation network. "Austria is thus sending out a signal that the EU's immediate neighbourhood is one of its foreign policy priorities", Linhart pointed out.

Vienna-based Activ Solar GmbH announced that it is bankrupt and that it has filed for reorganization in Austria due to its investment exposure in Ukraine. The company has amassed debts to the tune of EUR 500 million.

Unicredit Bank Austria has published its preliminary results for the 2015 financial year. Unicredit's Austrian subsidiary posts a net profit of about EUR 1.3 billion for 2015. Systemic charges including bank levies are up by EUR 89 million to EUR 326 million.

The world's longest three-rope cable car system was inaugurated in Vietnam's northern Lao Cai province. With the total length of 6,292.5 meters, the system was recognized by Guinness World Records as world's longest three-rope cable car route, and the world's biggest height gap between its departure and arrival stations of 1,410 meters.

Good governance in the OSCE area, reinforcing security and stability through co-operation, will be theme of the 24th Economic and Environmental Forum and the 1st Preparatory Meeting taking place on 25 and 26 January in Vienna. The meeting will focus on good environmental governance to enable sustainable economic development.